Compare a deliverable before a feature list
For a web graphic, the critical path might be layers, text, transparency and PNG export. For a client handoff, it may include editable type, linked assets, smart filters and an agreed PSD or PSB. Write down the receiving format and features that must remain editable before trying a new editor.
PhotoCraft’s official project describes layers, masks, adjustments, type and PSD support, while its own status section calls it early alpha and highlights professional-workflow and plug-in gaps. Adobe documents Photoshop’s PSD/PSB and smart-object behavior. Those sources explain what to test; they are not a benchmark we ran between the two apps.
A practical comparison by requirement
Use the table as a decision checklist, not a rating. The tested column is deliberately narrow. A document opening successfully answers a smaller question than a file remaining editable after it has been changed, saved and delivered.
| Requirement | What matters in a Photoshop workflow | PhotoCraft evidence here |
|---|---|---|
| Basic layered RGB image | Layer names, order, opacity and output appearance | Our two-raster-layer fixture passed read/write and PNG checks |
| Type, masks and effects | Continued editability and matching render after save | Upstream feature claims; not in our test |
| Smart Objects and linked assets | External source availability, transforms and filters | No independent test of these structures |
| Large, CMYK or high-depth work | Correct format, color handling and size limits | Not established by an 8-bit, 320 × 180 PSD |
| Plug-ins and production automation | Your exact extensions and actions must still work | Check upstream gaps; no Photoshop plug-in compatibility proven |
What happened to our layered PSD
We created a 320 × 180, 8-bit RGB PSD with psd-tools 1.24.0. It contains a full-size blue background and a half-width red raster overlay, normal blending and overlay opacity 128 out of 255. It has no text, masks, effects or smart objects and was not authored in Photoshop.
PhotoCraft read the fixture, wrote a new PSD and exported a PNG from the saved PSD. Independent parsing found the same two layer names, order, bounding boxes, visibility, normal blend mode and opacity values. The saved file remained 320 × 180 at 8-bit depth.
Every RGB output pixel matched the psd-tools reference composite: maximum channel difference was zero on the 0–255 scale. The reference is an independent simple raster composite, not a Photoshop render. PNG export correctly warned that its output was flattened; the editable two-layer structure remained in the PSD copy.
Reproduce the small read/write check
Use the matching CLI release and our original PSD in a fresh folder. Inspect the input, save under a different filename, inspect the saved copy and export PNG. These commands reproduce the first read/write case. The separate follow-up below changes a layer property and saves another copy.
photocraft-cli info fixture.psd
photocraft-cli convert fixture.psd roundtrip.psd
photocraft-cli info roundtrip.psd
photocraft-cli convert roundtrip.psd rendered.pngWhat to test before moving Photoshop work
Take copied examples from the work you deliver. Include your actual fonts, masks, adjustment layers, smart objects, blend modes and client requirements. Make one edit, save a new file, close it and reopen it in both PhotoCraft and the receiving Photoshop version. Compare appearance and editable structure, not just a flattened preview.
Our small test did not cover that receiving-editor step, large PSB files, CMYK, high bit depth, plug-ins, generative tools, RAW development or GUI speed. Keep an existing delivery path until your critical files pass. A zero pixel difference in this fixture should not become a blanket compatibility claim.
A follow-up tested an actual layer edit
We opened the original fixture, renamed the active red layer to “Edited overlay”, set its opacity to 0.75 and saved a new PSD. Independent parsing found two raster layers, the new name and a saved 8-bit opacity value of 191 out of 255. The original fixture was retained.
We rendered the saved edited PSD and independently recomposited the original layers with the matching saved opacity, explicitly bypassing the reference parser’s cached preview. The largest RGB channel difference was one value on the 0–255 scale. This edited case is separate from the unedited read/write case, whose maximum difference was zero.
The result supports this layer-property operation on two simple raster layers. It does not establish arbitrary editing history, masks, editable type or Photoshop receiving-editor compatibility. The pixel comparison method and its small scope matter as much as the numeric result.
photocraft-cli run fixture.psd --cmd layer.setProps --params '{"name":"Edited overlay","opacity":0.75}' --out edited.psd
photocraft-cli convert edited.psd edited.png
Common Photoshop-handoff questions
If the preview matches but a recipient cannot edit the text or effect, examine the saved layer type rather than accepting the flattened preview as proof. A correct render and preserved editing semantics are separate requirements. Our example contains no text or effects.
If a PNG loses layers, that is expected for this raster delivery format. In our test, the export warned that it was flattened while the PSD retained its two layers. Keep both the layered source and the appropriate final image when the recipient needs them.
If a job depends on a Photoshop plug-in, smart object, action or specific color workflow, test that exact requirement before changing the delivery path. Our two-layer case cannot answer those requirements, and a familiar interface is not evidence that third-party extensions run.
Sources & evidence
- PhotoCraft official product
- Official PhotoCraft v0.7.0
- PhotoCraft status and gaps
- Adobe Photoshop file formats
- Independent PSD parser documentation
- Our independent PSD test record
Checked October 12, 2026. Source pages, discussions and releases can change. GetPhotoCraft is independent of ArtCraft.